TOrage Saudi has shown its financial muscle during this first part of the transfer window, but no championship, so far, has managed to crown itself as a power ahead of the Old Continent. With the Sauds, the uncertainty is increasing. The infinite resources of teams like Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr have managed to win over players in their football maturity without the need to attract young talent or stars from the past.
A different tactic from that used by leagues such as the Russian Premier, the Chinese Super League or the MLS. This transfer market has transported the football world to a deja vu with summers past They all had the economic power to wrest players from the great European teams, but what began as a massive arrival of footballers in all positions gradually faded away… At the moment, Saudi Arabia is not in the same danger . Footballers do not sign because they have no other alternatives, but because it is their best destination.
MLS (2015-2016): Lampard, Gerrard, Villa, Pirlo…
He football he wanted to emulate the NBA and turn MLS into a star-studded championship. Their networks were launched on footballers who still had football left in their boots, but the pressure they were subjected to in Europe was too much. A similar case to what happened this year at Inter Miami: Messi, Jordi Alba, Busquets… Although in that season, the stars were distributed among all the teams. Little money in transfers, but the salary differential between the players was a problem for the league.
Kak, Ballon d’Or 2008, surprised the world by leaving a Milan that was playing in the Champions League for the newly born Orlando City in the MLS. David Villa, Lampard and Pirlo They decided to pack their bags together and put on the New York City jersey. Gerrardafter his untimely slip against Demba Ba, he changed the red bracelet for that of the LA Galaxy. Drogba He went to Canada, to sign for the Montreal Impact. Rooney and Schweinsteiger they left Old Trafford for Chicago and Washington, respectively.
Someday, Cristiano and Messi will come to play in MLS
“I would recommend coming to MLS to players from all over the world. The United States is a great country to come, work and enjoy,” Gerrard said upon arriving in LA. “Someday Cristiano and Messi will come to the MLS, we will be happy to see both of them play here”, Kak came to affirm in his presentation. The expectations were very high and his prediction was correct with the Argentine star, but Cristiano has taken the opposite direction. Little by little, the MLS faded away and returned to its origins.
Chinese Super League (2018): Carrasco, Scar, Hulk, Paulinho…
China burst into the world of soccer under a clear premise: “Have a very powerful team by 2050”. To achieve the objective, they invested massively in their football and in the clubs. But the million-dollar transfers came to an end after two seasons. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) and the Government of the Asian country created a tax that required paying the same transfer figure to an investment fund that would improve grassroots football. In such a way that a transfer of 60 million (scar) would become 120 million.
The CFA raised the ante and forced to line up the same Chinese and foreign U-23 players on the field, in such a way that there would always have to be three of each type on the field.. Outcome? All the great players who went to the Asian country ended up leaving due to the complications they entailed for the clubs. A problem for European football that dissolved in less than two seasons.
If it weren’t for the money, I wouldn’t have left Brazil to go to Europe either.
“If it weren’t for the money, I wouldn’t have left Brazil either. When you go to Europe, you do it for the money and also to play for some teams. And the SIPG project is to become one of the best,” said Oscar upon leaving Chelsea. . Statements similar to those of Rubn Neves after his transfer to Al-Hilal.
Russian Premier League (2012): Hulk, Witsel, Eto’o, William…
“Our football is heading towards a division into two classes and perhaps a financial limit is needed for the signing of players”, warned the president of the Russian Court of Accounts when Zenit spent 100 million euros, on the then highly sought after in Europe, Hulk and Witsel. Those signings ended up being a fiasco, but the Russians were the new ‘rich’ and a supposed alternative to the greats of Europe.
Our football is heading towards a division into two classes and perhaps a financial limit is needed for the signing of players
Those from St. Petersburg were joined by the Anzhi. His intention was to play in the Champions League and many will remember him as the team of Roberto Carlos and Samuel Eto’o. Other players like William or Guus Hiddink, from the bench, were part of a team that never got to hear the European Cup anthem, but they spent 180 million euros in just two transfer windows.
Organizing the 2030 World Cup is the key
It is an open secret and the main reason for the investment they are making in the Saudi league. They want to organize a World Cup at all costs. With the absence of limits such as the Chinese or the UEFA Financial Fair PlayIts investment is not expected to decline in the coming years, at least until there is a signed decision on the 2030 World Cup. Financial power is not a problem, but will they be able to continue to attract the stars of Europe? Nobody so far has achieved it firmly and continuously.
